Only 3 of these were ever made — 2 remain. Once they're gone, they're gone - this design will not be repeated.
Handwoven abaca ikat cloth from the Blaan people of Lake Sebu and Polomolok, South Cotabato, Mindanao - the sister dreamweaving tradition to the better-known T'nalak, and just as rare.
Around Lake Sebu, the Blaan (also spelled B'laan or Bilaan) share the mountains and the abaca fields with their T'boli neighbors - and they share the title of "dreamweaver" too. In Blaan tradition, the art of weaving abaca fiber is called mabal, and the finished ikat-dyed cloth it produces is called tabih. Long before it reached a marketplace, tabih was worn as a woman's tubular skirt and a man's vest or trousers, and it was carried into weddings, births, and even used to settle disputes between clans as a form of currency and diplomacy.
Like T'nalak, a Blaan design is never simply invented - it's received. Weavers say their patterns come from dreams sent by the l'nilong, nature-guardian spirits, and a weaver must complete quiet rituals and observe abstinence before she's trusted to bring a new design into thread. The Blaan don't even use a spinning wheel: every strand of abaca fiber is joined by hand before it ever reaches the loom.
The last true master of this ikat art, Fu Yabing Masalon Dulo, wove for nearly a century - starting at age 12 - before her passing in 2021 at 106. In 2017 she was honored as a Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, a Philippine National Living Treasure, for keeping mabal tabih alive. Her descendants and a handful of remaining weavers in Lamlifew and Polomolok now carry the tradition forward, one of the rarest surviving textile arts in Mindanao.
The colors are entirely drawn from the forest: deep black comes from kanalum leaves boiled for days, red from the roots of the loko tree, and the natural cream-white is simply undyed abaca - never chemically treated. Preparing the loom is a community effort, but designing the resist-dye pattern is entrusted to a single master weaver alone, a process that can take months for a single length of cloth.
This bag is built around a genuine hand-loomed piece of that tabih cloth - only three were ever made, two remain, and once they're gone, this design won't be repeated. Each panel carries the individual variation, tension, and character of hand weaving, so no two bags are identical; that's not a flaw, it's the proof of the hands that made it.
Construction & specs:
- Genuine handwoven Blaan tabih abaca cloth panel, backed with rugged black ballistic nylon
- 7" diameter x 29" length - fits a standard or extra-long yoga mat
- Adjustable 2.25" shoulder strap with 1" adjustable webbing buckle
- Water-resistant navy 500D nylon interior lining
- Exterior zip pocket: 8" x 4" x 2" (keys, phone, cards)
- Interior zip pocket: approx. 9" x 5" (wallet, small accessories)
- Smooth-gliding YKK racquet-coil zippers throughout
Bonus: Room for a pair of 28" kali/arnis sticks too - a nice extra for training on the go. The interior lining adds a layer of protection, and as with any handwoven piece, the abaca exterior will develop natural character and patina with use over time.
Limited edition - only 3 made, 2 remaining, one-time design, will not be restocked. Sources: Wikipedia, GRID Magazine, Narra Studio.